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Remember when Ted Seto wrote:

"Unless something truly extraordinary has happened to non-cyclical demand, a degrees-awarded-per-capita analysis suggests that beginning in fall 2015 and intensifying into 2016 employers are likely to experience an undersupply of law grads, provided that the economic recovery continues."

Back in 2013? Well, let's take a look:

The Class of 2013 had 26,653 graduates find full-time, long-term, license-required jobs at any salary within nine months of graduation.

The Class of 2016 had 22,930 grads find FT/LT/license-req'd jobs at any salary within TEN months of graduation. That's a 14% decrease, folks - before we take into account the extra month for the 2016 measurement.

Oh, and for those mythic, totally not gameable JD Advantage jobs? A decline from 4,715 for the Class of 2013 to 3,993 for the Class of 2016. 15% drop.

Posted by: Unemployed Northeastern | May 14, 2017 1:49:52 PM

Officials at the Fed have said for months now that the economy is at full employment. Economists have noted that employers are raising wages because they are having a difficult time finding QUALIFIED workers.

So why did so many law grads from the class of 2016 struggle to obtain employment, despite a smaller graduating class? Over the past few years, employers have sent a very clear message through their hiring practices. Employers will not hire the poorly trained graduates of underperforming law schools. It is not just employers that are dissatisfied with underperforming law schools. State bar examiners across the country have also made abundantly clear, that many graduates of underperforming schools have not been adequately trained to practice law.

Rather than make illogical predictions about the job market, or claims that the BLS data show another “banner year” for the legal market, law school administrators and professors should focus on improving legal education. Schools should be collaborating with employers, reaching out to the state bar examiners, and consulting with experts in education to improve curriculum and place students into jobs. Fortunately, I think a lot of legal educators are starting to get it.